Buried Beneath The Snow
by Patience Halliwell
Summary: Katara finds a girl buried in the snow and saves her from death. Unfortunately, the girl has no memory except that she is half fire bender half water bender. As her memories return, will the gang be able to help her or is there a dangerous power within?
1. Unexpected Love

Well, here's my new Avatar story. After I get into a few chapters, I might right some alternate ending to Never Too Far. But who knows what will happen? I'm thinking about a different story requested by **Kryah. **By the way, **Kryah**, if you are reading this could you help me out a little more? Who is Haru? If not, that's ok. Here's the first chapter of **Buried Beneath the Snow**.

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill. I don't own anything from Avatar. I do own Stella. Ok, I got the idea from my friend Estelle. Everyone calls her Stella. Stella the Hedgehog reminded me of the name, too. But other than that, I do own the evil wizard that I will name later.

**A/N: **The first chapter will be in Stella's POV. Other chapters will be in second person or third person view. I can't remember which one is which.

**Unexpected Love**

This horrible war against the Fire Nation has been going on for one hundred unbearable years. My family has fought in it for almost five generations. I never did understand why we had to fight this war. All the nations had gotten along before the war. Why would the Fire Lord want to start something so suddenly? Then on top of it all, the Avatar disappeared and so did the chances of peace for the Water Kingdom. But that is not the point of my story.

I was…unique. I thought that I was normal enough. I had parents just like all the other kids. Well, I had a mother, but I did have a father. Even thought I thought I should have fit in, I didn't. Now I know why I was always shut out.

My mother was a well-respected water bender in a water tribe at the edge of the North Pole. She had fought off twenty fire benders by herself trying to protect my village. All the fire benders retreated except one. His name was Shinta and he was an honorable general of the Fire Nation. My mother had wounded him. But after his troops abandoned him, she nursed him back to help. Soon, they fell in love with each other and married. Even though it was practically unheard of and most of the villagers disproved of it, they promised they would love each other for the rest of their lives. Then they had me.

When I was first looked upon, if at all, the people disproved of me because I was a hybrid. When mother and father carried me through the village, the people would turn their backs and pull their children away from the sight. All the village elders called me the "Angel of Darkness" because I had fire blood in me.

Even my appearance was different. My hair is pure blonde and always has been. My eyes were emerald green. I always had a slim figure with pale, soft skin. I don't mean to boast, but boys would always stare at me not because of disgust but because of my beauty.

But even if I was the most attractive girl in the North Pole, it wouldn't make them forget that I was not normal. That's all I ever wanted. I wanted to fit in. But I would never fit in. I was half fire bender half water bender. The water tribe hated me because my father was the enemy. The fire benders would never accept me because my father betrayed his country. That's why they came.

Fire Nation General Iroh came to capture my father. I was only five so I don't remember much. They said he was charged with high treason. My mom wanted to fight them but father stopped her. The Fire Nation had brought more troops this time and would most certainly kill her if she tried to attack. As they took him away I suddenly snapped. I moved my hands in anger and produced fire. All the villagers and troops gasped at me. I didn't want them to take my papa away. As the fire benders closed in, I put my hands up in defense making a shield of snow. Everyone was shocked. Why was it so bad to do that? I thought. My mother embraced me as General Iroh stepped forward.

"You are an amazing young girl," he said as he rubbed my head. He then looked up to mama. "Take care of her, Kiyone. She will need to be strong to face what is ahead of her." He then left with papa in their grips. I tried to keep the tears back but I failed. That was the last time I saw him.

My mother continued to raise me the best she could. She would teach me how to water bend. I never would use fire bending in front of her because it seemed to make her sad. I suppose it reminded her of papa. Almost everyday after school, the kids would kick at me and leave me in the cold. I hated going home. Mama would always ask me how I got all those scratches on my face. I would lie and tell her I fell but she saw past me. She always hugged me and said she was sorry. I guess I didn't hate going home so much. That was where I could cry my heart out. Mama was always able to comfort me and make me laugh.

One day, I came home after my usual beating. Mother was sitting in the living room and I jumped in her lap. I quickly asked her that horrible question. "Mama, what's a half-breed?" She started crying again. She knew that that's what the villagers called me, even the grown-ups. I hated seeing mom sad. It would always break my heart. But it wasn't as bad as what happened one year ago.

I was returning from school one day when some people were beating up mother. They were throwing stones at her. She begged them to stop but they wouldn't. They were her friends. She had protected them. Why were they doing this? I ran to her and put my arms in front of her. As the stones hit me, something happened. I don't remember because I blacked out after I pleaded with them. When I woke up, I was lying in bed with a doctor at my side. Mother was in a bed next to me. I looked out my window and saw the whole village gone. People were weeping over the burning ashes. The doctor said I did it. I don't remember doing anything. But I didn't care. All I cared about was mom.

Apparently, she had a disease called tuberculosis. I saw her coughing a lot but I thought nothing of it. Six months had passed after the city was destroyed. I had come home and I found mom on the floor unconscious. I got the doctor and told him what happened. After he examined her, he said that she wouldn't make it through the night. I stayed at her side all night long. She kept coughing up blood but I held her hand. Her voice was so weak yet so calm.

"Stella, so many people hate you because of me. For this I am sorry. You will go through life listening to people calling you half-breed and other names. But just because people call you names doesn't mean that you are bad. You are very special. You have a great power within you and that's why so many people are afraid of you. Don't let them get you down. Always walk with your head held high. Never give into them. Remember that I will always love you." She kissed my cheek and smiled as tears ran down our faces. "I will always love you, my angel." Her hand fell out of mine as she let out her last breath. I had never cried as hard as I did that day.

The next four months I tried to get by. I couldn't stand the people's insults. I guess you could say I wasn't doing as my mother said. So I packed up in search of a place where I would be welcomed. Maybe there was someone like me out there. Maybe I would find my father. Maybe, just maybe, I would fit in somewhere.

It has been almost two months since I left my home. I have run out of food and the snow storm has become thicker. All my hopes of finding a place for me are gone. I am so weak and cold. It's funny how the snow comforts me. As my body becomes numb, my memories start to fade. All those horrible memories of the villagers are becoming blurry. Maybe I will forget everything that has happened. The only thing I will hold on to is the sweet memories of mama. I will never forget her. I continue to picture her in my mind as everything around me fades into nothingness.

* * *

How was that for a first chapter? I made it nice and long. The other chapters probably won't be as long. But please review. 


	2. The Girl in the Snow

Hey, everyone. I guess my second story is a hit. Thanks to all the reviewers.

**Isaia: **That's why I made her the way she is. She is so different that she doesn't belong anywhere. She doesn't fit in.

**Kryah: **Sorry, I'm still working on your story. This isn't it.

**Gohan is MINE not yours & Spirit Shadows: **Yeah, I took some words from Inuyasha. When I thought about writing this story, "What is a half-breed?" and "Mama, why are you crying? I just fell," came to mind. Sorry.

**Aangiscute: **Hey, I love Mickey D's too. Yum. Dollar Menu! Lol!

Here's the next chapter.

**The Girl in the Snow**

As the wind and cold tried to take her, Stella held on to her sweet memories. She would never let them go. Little did she know that the reason her memories were fading was because of a spell. A man stood behind her with a golden staff. Purple rays were coming out of it and hitting Stella, draining away her memories. The man frowned as he finished taking what little she had left. He decided to leave her with the fact that she was a half-breed.

He pulled out a sword and stabbed her in the side. She moaned but soon fainted not from the pain but from the cold. This would be the perfect chance to finish her off. The man knew that he should kill her. If he didn't, she could destroy the world with her powers. But then he looked at her. She looked so young, probably only fifteen. He had never seen such a beautiful girl. It broke his heart that he knew he had to kill her. He sheathed his sword and walked away. He figured she would either bleed to death or freeze. But he never expected her to be found by someone.

* * *

The snow and wind had finally stopped. It was safe for the three kids and lemur to come out of their hut. Aang stretched and pat Appa. Katara and Sokka soon followed him out of the hut. Katara twirled around and laughed as the snow started to fall lightly. "It's so beautiful! It's like a winter wonderland. It's almost like we're back at the South Pole." She missed her home dearly, but she knew that she and Aang had to get to the North Pole to train. Then Aang would go learn earth bending and fire bending.

They weren't far from their destination. They had been traveling nonstop for a long time. It was only because of the storm that hit them an hour ago they had to stop and rest. Katara saw this opportunity and decided to go for a walk. "I'm going to go look around," she said. Immediately, Momo hopped on her shoulder and smiled. "Do you want to come with me, Momo? Anyone else want to come?" Suddenly, they all heard a growling sound and they all looked at Sokka.

"What? I'm hungry. I'm going to start a fire and cook dinner." Aang looked at the water tribe warrior.

"I better stay and help. You might come back to burnt food." Sokka growled at the Avatar. Katara just shrugged it off and walked away. The last thing she heard was her brother yelling.

"BRING BACK SOME FRUIT!"

"What a pig," she whispered to Momo. She guessed she couldn't blame him. It had been awhile since they had stopped for food and they were running low on supplies. But they would be able to stalk up in a couple of days.

As she walked across the white blanket, she realized why she loved the snow so much. It was so beautiful and free. The flakes didn't have to fight against each other to be noticed. She wondered why the people of this world couldn't be more like that.

She was brought out of thought when Momo jumped off her shoulder and started digging in the snow. "What's wrong, Momo?" She walked over slowly and picked him up. "I don't think we'll find any food under there. Let's go…" She stopped when she saw a mitten sticking out where Momo had started digging. She started digging and uncovered an arm connected to the hand. She continued and uncovered an unconscious girl. She dragged her out of the snow and looked at her. The girl was very pretty and was dressed in a dark blue Eskimo coat like her own. Then she saw that the girl's clothes were covered in her blood from a side wound. Katara knew she had to get her back to camp.

Katara lifted the girl up and threw her on her back. Katara was surprised at how light the girl was when she started running back to the hut. She only hoped that she could get there in time.

* * *

The boys had just finished cooking dinner when Appa started growling. "What is it, Appa?" Aang asked. Then he saw it. Katara was running back with something on her back. "It's Katara."

"What is she carrying?" Sokka asked. When Katara reached them, she was breathing heavily. She also had a look of terror on her face. Both boys saw why. "What happened to that girl?"

"I don't know. I found her buried in the snow. She's bleeding really badly and I think she has hypothermia. We have to help her." They moved her into the hut and laid her down on a futon. Katara cleaned and bandaged her wounds while Aang and Sokka got some hot water and more blankets. Katara started rubbing the hot damp cloth against the girl's skin trying to get circulation in her hands and feet. As Aang and Sokka covered her up with the spare blankets, they noticed how beautiful she was. They continued to stare at her until Katara pushed them out of the hut.

"What was that about?" Sokka asked.

"I don't know," Aang said. "I guess we should start eating."

* * *

In the hut, Katara began to notice how pretty she was. She had soft pale skin and long blonde hair that was braided at the nape of her hair, just like her brown hair. It was funny. She had never seen anyone with skin so pale or blonde hair. But she didn't care about that. She wanted to save this girl. She had lost so much blood and she was so cold. She managed to get her blood circulating. Katara watched her as she slept peacefully. All she could do now was wait and see.

She then started looking in her knapsack. All she found in it was some food, a small dagger, and a bracelet with a name on it: Stella. Stella? She thought. That was a strange name. She looked at the girl and decided to take a short nap. Maybe she would wake up in a little while.


	3. What is My Name

Hey, guys. Aren't you lucky? You get two chapters in one day. I hope it isn't too short. Enjoy.

**What is My Name**

The girl's eyes suddenly fluttered open. She sat up with a start and started panting. She looked around the room in confusion. Where was she and how did she get there? She didn't remember anything. Katara watched as the girl's eyes met hers. She had never seen such dark green eyes before. She smiled at the girl and started talking.

"You finally woke up. How do you feel?" Katara moved towards her but the girl backed away. "I'm not going to hurt you. I helped you get better. Just calm down. Nothing is going to happen to you." The girl's breath returned to normal. She was trying to sort everything out but she only found confusion. "Are you ok?" Katara asked as Aang and Sokka walked in. They noticed the girl was up.

"Alright, she's alive," Sokka said as he sat against a wall eating some bread. Aang sat next to Katara.

"How is she?" he asked her.

"I'm not sure," Katara answered. She looked at the girl. She looked kind of scared so she decided to introduce them. "This is Aang and that's my brother Sokka." Sokka waved at her and continued to eat. "My name is Katara."

"What's your name?" Aang asked. The girl looked down. She tried to remember her name but she couldn't. She couldn't remember anything. Tears started to form in her eyes.

"I…don't know," she said.

"How could you not know your own name?" Sokka yelled.

"I'm sorry. I can't remember. I don't…" She started crying softly. Katara glared at her brother and looked at the girl.

"Do you remember anything?" she asked.

"No, I can't remember anything. Do you know where I'm from or how I got here?" Katara looked to Aang for help.

"She must have amnesia," he said.

"I found this in your bag. Is this yours?" Katara handed the bracelet to the girl. The name on it said Stella. Was that her name? It sounded familiar. She nodded. "We found you buried in the snow. Do you know how you got there?" The girl shook her head in despair. Katara knew she didn't want to talk so she decided to leave her to herself. The three went out and started talking about her.

"What are we going to do with her?" Sokka asked. "We can't take her with us. She would only get in the way."

"Well, we can't just leave her here," Katara protested. "She might die."

"What are we going to do with her? She can't remember anything. She can't even remember her own name!"

"Listen, Sokka! We're not leaving her! Would we leave you if you lost your memory?"

"I'm your brother! This is different!"

"No, I won't leave her here." Aang finally separated the two. He hated seeing them fight.

"I think we should take her with," he said.

"WHAT?" Sokka yelled.

"Maybe we can help her get her memories back. I think we should help her." Katara hugged him and smiled. Sokka only scoffed. "Should we tell her?"

"No," Katara said. "I think she wants to be alone."

* * *

Stella started crying into her pillow. Why couldn't she remember anything? Did something bad happen in her life that made her forget everything? She was so confused and scared. She wanted to remember. All she could remember was her mother and how happy they were together. She missed her so much. What was going to happen to her?

But then she thought of something. What if there was something she didn't want to remember? She knew deep down that she was different from everyone. She knew that people hated her before she lost her memory. What if the reason she lost her memory was because she did something horrible and then everyone had chased her away? She felt great loneliness in her heart. It hurt so bad that she thought her heart was being torn in half. She continued to cry until she finally cried herself to sleep. She felt that she was only happy and safe in her dreams.


	4. Family

**Family**

Everyone was sleeping when the sun rose above the perfect floor of snow. It had become a lot warmer during the night. The snow was starting to melt and the icicles were dripping off the roof of the hut that Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Stella slept in. Everyone was sleeping and dreaming peacefully. Well, almost everyone.

Stella couldn't fall asleep. She kept tossing and turning in her sleep for some reason. Maybe it was because she had a hard time dealing with her confusion. Maybe she didn't feel safe out in the open desert of snow. She really didn't know why she felt this way. Why couldn't she remember anything from before? She wanted to remember who she was and why she was here. All she remembered was the picture of her mother in her mind.

She stared into the fire as it flickered. Then something hit her. A word that stuck in her mind for some reason, a word that she knew meant disgrace and lowliness. Half-breed. The word echoed in her mind. She wondered why she remembered this word. It made her heart tear in two. Was she a half-breed? Was she some kind of freak?

She couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed her knapsack and threw it over her shoulder. She needed to get away from here. She didn't want to bother the nice people that helped her out. She knew she would only be trouble to them. Where she would run to she didn't know, but she had to run.

Katara woke up at the sound of footprints. She looked at the door and saw it flapping as if someone had run out. She then looked at the futon next to her and saw it empty. She shook Aang awake. "Aang, get up."

"Just a couple of minutes, mom," he mumbled. "I'll be ready for school." Katara sat him up and shook him more fiercely.

"Aang, wake up. Stella's gone. We have to go find her." Aang quickly crawled out of bed and got his shirt on while Katara tried to wake up Sokka. Sokka just rolled over and held on to the covers tighter. Katara saw it was a lost cause and grabbed her coat. The two crawled on Appa and flew into the sky searching for the blonde. "Look, those are her footprints. We'll just follow them."

"That's her down there!" Aang pointed out and sure enough it was Stella running away. They landed close by and started running after her. "Don't run away. We just want to talk." Stella didn't stop. She just kept running blindly across the snow.

"Stella, don't run away," Katara yelled. "We're not going to hurt you. We just want to help."

"Yeah, right. How can you help me?" Stella continued to run away. She was fast enough where she could outrun them both. Just when she thought she was out of reach, a pain went through her entire body and caused her to collapse. She thought she might faint from the pain but she tried to bear it. She looked down and saw blood trickling down her side. When Aang and Katara got to her they knelt down by her side.

"Stella, you're bleeding," Aang said as he noticed the red stain on her cloak.

"She must have reopened her side wound while she was running. You shouldn't be running around so much. You could really hurt yourself or worse." Stella started to cry softly when she heard Katara's voice. "I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm just concerned."

"What does it matter if I die? At least the pain would be gone. Do you know what it is like not to have any memories? It's like a living hell, a nightmare that you can't wake up from. You feel nothing but confusion and emptiness. The only thing I have left is a picture of my mother in my mind. How am I supposed to go on like this?" She fell into Katara's arms and sobbed. Katara and Aang felt so bad for her. Katara felt more pain for her. She could relate to her sort of. She had lost her mother when she was young. But how could she understand how it felt to lose everything you know and love?

"We're going to take care of you, Stella," Katara said as she stroked her head. "We won't let anything bad happen to you."

"Maybe we can help," Aang started. "We can help get your memories back. Everything is going to be alright." Stella looked up through red, puffy eyes. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. At least now she had friends that would take care of her. Maybe she could make new memories.

"Alright, I'll stay if you want," she said as she sniffled. "Is it ok if I stay with you?"

"Of course it is," Aang said as he threw his hands in the air. "We can always use another family member."

"Family?" Stella looked very puzzled.

"Yeah, we became a family when we started traveling together," Katara explained. "You can be a part of our family now." Stella smiled. She liked the thought of that. At least she wouldn't be alone. "Let's get back to the camp and change your bandages. Can you walk?" Stella tried to stand up, but the pain from her side forced her back down.

"I'm sorry," she said meekly. Aang smiled and helped her on his back, careful not to hurt her anymore. As they walked back, Aang told her all the things they were about.

"If you are going to be in this family, you need to know some stuff. Katara is a waterbender and I'm the Avatar."

"What's an Avatar?" Stella asked curiously.

"You don't know who the Avatar is?" Katara asked. Stella looked sadder than ever. Katara had forgotten that she had lost that much memory. "Well, the Avatar is the balance between this world and the spirit world. He can bend water, earth, fire, and air. He is suppose to protect us from the war with the Fire Nation."

"What kind of a war?" Stella asked.

"Well, over a hundred years ago, the Fire Nation attacked and the Avatar disappeared. We found Aang in an iceberg. He was training to be the next Avatar and he can save us all from Lord Ozai and the firebenders." Stella's mind was suddenly jogged. She remembered a man in firebending clothes holding her when she was younger. But her mother was a waterbender. Was there something else to her past?

"Anyways," Aang said snapping her back to reality. "We have to find a waterbender master so Katara and I can master waterbending. Then when you're all better we can go ride the otters underwater. They are really fast and hard to catch, but that's what makes it so much fun." Stella started laughing softly. This boy was a funny young kid. She was glad that she had friends like this. She hoped that she would be able to get her memories back. But for now, she would be happy spending time with them. She remembered that before she wasn't accepted for who she was. Now she fit in somewhere. She had a family.

* * *

I know. This chapter isn't that great. There should be some action in the next one. Just keep reviewing. It might be awhile before I update thought. Please be patient. Cya. 


	5. The Wizard, Whispers, & Waterbending

Sorry, everyone. I've been horrible about updates. I've been reviewing stories from my reviewers, writing chapters for my other Avatar story, doing homework, getting ready for small group music festival, helping out with FFA (Future Farmers of America), reading and researching for ideas and names, golfing, and somehow getting at least six hours of sleep each night. That's a long list. But now that everything is crossed off or put off for awhile, I can finally get back to this story. Yay!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing of Avatar. Nickelodeon has the copyrights© to the show. I do own Stella and Hiroki, the wizard in this story. If I owned something from Avatar, I probably wouldn't be writing fan fiction, would I?

**The Wizard, Whispers, and Waterbending**

Zuko was training as his uncle watched him, calmly drinking tea. He really wasn't paying attention to what his nephew was doing. He had his mind on other things. Like what had happened to Captain Shinta's wife and daughter. He had never seen such a beautiful young girl before, nor had he seen such a powerful girl. How could someone so young have a bending skill, let alone be able to bend water _and _fire? It was unheard of. The only person that could control more than one element was the Avatar. Was it because she had a firebender for a father and a waterbender for a mother.

Iroh shook his head. Why was he thinking about this now? It had been almost ten years since he was ordered to capture Shinta. Maybe it was because of guilt. He knew very well that Shinta's execution was unjust. Was it such a crime to marry someone other than a firebender? Perhaps it was back then. He supposed it was treason. That poor girl, he thought as he sipped his tea. She must have had such a hard life.

"Uncle, Uncle." Iroh was snapped out of his trance by Zuko's voice. "I'm ready for the next sequence." Iroh looked at his nephew. Zuko had never seen his uncle so serious. "Uncle?"

"I think that is enough for today." His uncle got up and headed towards the forest next to the beach. "I am going to find a spring. It's been awhile since I've enjoyed myself. Maybe I can get this stern look off my face." Zuko watched as his uncle disappeared into the forest. Why was he like that? He wondered.

"Uncle is acting strange. Maybe he does need to relax. I let him be for now." Zuko continued to train. If he wanted to defeat the Avatar, he would have to be ready.

* * *

Iroh stopped at a cave. This was the place, he thought. He lit a torch and went in. The fire glistened against the awesome crystal walls. As he walked deeper into the cave, the temperature dropped more. He finally stopped at the edge of an underground lake. On the banks stood a tall, medium-built man. He wore blue robs with green trimming. His black rested against his shoulder. Iroh's flame seemed to turn to ice in his black eyes. Iroh's glance immediately went to the man's golden staff then to his expressionless face.

"Did you do it?" Iroh asked.

"Yes," the man said. "The girl is dead. She will not cause any problems."

"Good. It was for the best, you know."

"I know. Even though she looked innocent enough, if her powers were realized she could have destroyed the world." Iroh's face went to sheer sorrow.

"Did you ever see that girl before? She was known as the "Angel of Darkness." The entire village called her a half-breed. She must have had it so hard. I never realized how powerful she could be. But if she were to lose control, the world as we know it would be destroyed. I thank you, Hiroki." Iroh bowed to the wizard. "Perhaps our paths will cross again."

"Let's hope not," Hiroki said as he disappeared. Iroh smiled in agreement as he walked back to the camp.

"Perhaps you are right, my friend. Perhaps you are right.

* * *

Appa landed on the coast of the Water Nation. It was so green and luscious. Not far from the coast was a city. The gang was happy. They could rest and get some food. When they stopped last time, they couldn't get any supplies since there was no city. But now they could get as much stuff as they wanted.

"I don't get it," Sokka said. "I thought we were in the North Pole. How could there be a tropical forest?"

"This is the southern most part of the North Pole," Katara explained. "This area gets unusual water and wind currents that keep it warm and moist year round. It's almost like we are in the Earth Kingdom. Just be quiet and enjoy the nice weather." Katara glance over at Stella. She looked so helpless and confused. Katara only hoped that they could help.

"I don't trust her," Sokka said. "What if she is actually a spy from the Fire Nation? She could be pretending to have amnesia. I think we should ditch her. She's nothing but…OW!" Sokka massaged the bump on his head. "What did you do that for?"

"Oh shut up, Sokka," Katara said. "Look at her. Does she really look like she's faking? She looks so unsure. We can't just leave her here. That would be cruel."

"Fine, believe what you want. I'm not taking any chances. Come on, Aang. Let's go into the village." Katara sighed as her brother stomped away.

"Don't worry, Katara," Aang said with a smile. "We'll figure out a way to help her. For now, relax. Take her into town and show her a fun time." Katara smiled and walked towards Stella. She was feeding Momo as she thought. What if I never get my memories back? What will I do? She was brought out of thought when Katara's shadow fell on her.

"Hey, Stella. I was thinking about going into town and getting some supplies. Want to come?" Stella stared at the ground. "Come on. It will be fun. We can get a new outfit for you." It was true. Her old cloths were practically torn to pieces. Maybe this would be fun. She gave the waterbender a smile and stood up.

"Yeah, let's go." They both walked into the city. There were so many shops that they didn't know which one to go in first. They decided to go into Kana's Kimonos first. Katara spent a half-hour looking at outfits before she noticed Stella at the back of the store. She was staring at a lavender kimono with green trim around the collar and sleeve cuffs. In place of the obi was a slim green sash. She was in complete awe. "That one is beautiful." Stella turned around at Katara's voice. "Try it on."

"I couldn't. It's…" Stella tried to argue but Katara pushed her into a dressing room with the kimono.

"Just try it on. We don't have to buy it." It took Stella ten minutes to put the kimono on. If it was possible, it made her even more beautiful than before. The kimono fit her curves perfectly. The green trimming brought out her green eyes. She had also fixed her hair so a pink ribbon was tied at the nape of her braid. "It's perfect! It was made for you!"

"You think so?" Stella asked as she examined herself in the mirror. Katara was right. This dress made her feel so secure. She smiled at Katara and walked up to the clerk. "Excuse me. I would like to purchase this kimono."

"Of course. Would you like to wear it out?" the clerk asked. Stella smiled and nodded.

* * *

The girls continued to shop for supplies throughout the day. It seemed as the day played out more people stared at the two girls. They started mumbling about how pretty they looked, especially the one in the purple kimono. Stella got a strange feeling from them. It was if it had happened before. She remembered people always whispering about her. She became uneasy and quickened her pace. She stopped in an alley and put her hand against a wall to steady herself. What was going on? Why was she afraid? The people were admiring her, not scorning her.

Katara turned into the alley where Stella was. "Stella, what's…" She was cut off when Stella turned around. She looked a lot paler than she did before. She was also sweating and panting. Stella's knees gave out, but Katara caught her in time. "Stella, are you alright?" Stella nodded.

"Yeah, I just got a little light headed. That's all."

"Maybe we should get you to bed. Sokka and Aang found a hotel for us to stay in. Can you walk?" Stella picked up her basket and started walking.

"Yeah, let's go back. I'm sure the boys are worried." Just as she reached the end of the alley, Stella heard a scream. She whipped around and saw a masculine man holding Katara with a knife to her throat. "Katara! Let her go!" The man laughed as Stella fell to the ground. A skinny man had jumped from the roof and hit her over the head.

"I don't think so," the skinny thief said. "We don't want to hurt you. All we want is some money and maybe a little entertainment."

"Yeah," the strong man sneered. "Just do as we say, unless you want me to fillet your friend."

"Katara." Stella had to do something. But what could she do? She was outnumbered and outmatched. She couldn't do much to stop them. "Please, let her go. I'll do what you want." The strong man laughed as he trailed his hand down to Katara's thigh.

"She is very pretty. I wonder what she will be like in bed. Maybe we could get a room in the…" The strong man fell to the ground and started squealing about his head burning. Katara didn't see exactly what happened. All she saw was a hole in front of Stella's outstretched hand. Had she just…it couldn't be.

"You witch! You'll pay for hurting my friend!" The other man charged at Stella but bounced back after Stella created a wall of snow. Katara finally realized it. Stella could waterbend. Katara ran up to Stella and pulled her out of the alley.

"You knocked those two guys out," Katara puffed. "Why didn't you tell me you were a waterbender?"

"I didn't really know," she answered. "I guess my anger triggered it off."

"Well, this is awesome! I finally have someone that can teach me! You think you could teach me some techniques?"

"I suppose." Stella was glad that Katara didn't think she was a freak. She was glad that she had someone to share her skill with.

"Great, we can start tomorrow. Let's get back to the hotel. I can't wait to tell Sokka and Aang." They both ran back to the hotel as quick as they could, leaving the two bandits in the alley and a small flame on the thieves' shirts.

* * *

Yep, a cliffhanger. I hope this chapter was long enough. I am open to ideas because I'm not exactly sure what to do with this story yet. I hope you like it as much as Never Too Far.

And now, my review column. I've decided to do this at the end instead of making you guys wait. I'll pretty much respond to all your reviews after this. But I can't respond to you if you don't review. So please do.

**Aangiscute: **Wow! I'd be freaked out too if someone called me Stella. So you look a lot like her and you had amnesia before. Maybe I'm psychic. Just kidding. I wanted to do something like this because I got knocked out once and I couldn't remember what happened for a day. It really sucked. Keep reviewing. Thanks.


	6. Training and Firebending

**Training and Firebending**

Stella sat in her room thinking about what had just happened. She knew she could bend water. She just didn't want anyone to think she was a freak. She knew that people used to make fun of her when she was little. It was a memory stuck in the back of her head just like all her memories. But now she had someone else she could relate to. Katara could waterbend. Maybe she could help her through it.

Then she remembered. She was supposed to teach Katara how to waterbend. How could she? She barely knew how to control her powers. Sure, she could control it somewhat. But what would happen if something made her powers go haywire?

Plus, there was the fact that the others hated her. What if something went wrong? What if she hurt someone? Maybe she should just run away. No one would get hurt. "No," she said to herself. "I want to find my memories. I finally found someone that likes me. Why should I run away?"

"Why should you?" Stella turned around and saw the ten year old monk.

"Aang, what are you doing? You scared me."

"Sorry, I was just listening. Why would you want to run away?" Stella stared at him.

"I'm afraid," she whispered.

"What are you afraid of?" he said as he walked up to her. "We're here. We won't let anything happen to you. You're safe." Stella smiled at him. He was such an innocent and kind boy. For someone that was supposed to be the Avatar, he sure was carefree about a lot of things. "Why don't you go train Katara? Then we can ride on some whales. That will be so much fun." Stella laughed at him and got up.

"Yeah, I did kind of promise her. See ya, Aang." When she walked out of the room, Sokka came in with a scowl.

"Are you sure we can trust her?" he asked.

"She can waterbend, Sokka. I'm sure she won't cause any problems. Let's go watch."

* * *

Katara and Stella stood opposite of each other next to a lake. They both looked very excited. Or at least Katara was. She was finally going to learn how to control waterbending. But Stella busted her bubble. "Listen, Katara. I can't guarantee anything. I barely can control waterbending myself. I can probably only teach you the basics if anything."

"That's alright," Katara said. "Just give it your best shot." Stella smiled and waved her hand. A stream of water came out of the lake and dance next to her.

"Alright. Let's see what you got." With the wave of her hand, Stella sent the water at Katara. Katara put her hands up to shield it. She almost lost her footing because the water was so strong, but she managed to grab her own water and send it back at Stella, who blocked it easily. "Good, you know more than I thought. How about this?" Stella sent multiple water blasts at Katara, quickly knocking her down. Stella walked over to Katara and helped her up.

"Not bad," Sokka said as he clapped. "Where did you learn that?"

"I'm not sure," Stella said. It was true. She was just using instinct to dig into her powers. "You are very good at blocking, Katara. You need to work on dodging though. Let's see your attacks."

Katara got up and sent a stream of water flying through the air. Unfortunately, it went in the wrong direction and hit Sokka. Stella laughed at the soaked warrior. "That's ok. I probably did that when I first started off. You just need to focus. Concentrate on the water. Let it flow through you and then…attack."

Katara nodded and closed her eyes. As she moved her hand, a large wave grew out of the lake. Katara opened her eyes and stretched her hand out. The water was sent at Stella. That's a lot of power, she thought. Almost too much.

"That water could crush her," Sokka said.

"Stella, get out of the way!" Katara yelled. But it was too late. Stella couldn't possibly dodge it. So she used her instincts again. Only something strange happened. When she tried to block the water, a stream of flames came out of her hands. It split the giant wave of water and then headed towards Katara.

"Katara, watch out!" Sokka yelled. The flame hit where Katara was standing and exploded.

"Katara!" Stella yelled. What had she done? How was she able to do that?

When the smoke cleared, Aang was holding Katara. He had jumped in front of Stella's blast and carried Katara to safety just in time. "Thanks, Aang," she said as he set her down. Stella immediately ran to them.

"Katara, I'm so sorry. Are you…" She stopped when Sokka ran in front of her. "Ok?"

"Get away from us," he growled.

"Sokka," Katara said. "What is wrong with you?"

"Didn't you see her? She can firebend! She is our enemy!"

"But…I didn't mean…" Stella started shaking.

"You shot flames at her!" Sokka yelled. "What if Aang didn't jump in? You would be responsible for what happened. She could have been seriously hurt or worse. You almost got her killed!" Stella held her head. Memories of people yelling at her were playing in her head. They were saying that she almost killed them and that she should be banished. She started whimpering.

"Stella, are you ok?" Aang said. Katara went to hold her up but Stella just pushed her away.

"No, stay away from me!" She ran into the forest.

"Stella, wait!" Katara started running after her but was held back by Sokka. "Let me go, Sokka. We have to help her."

"No. Katara, she almost killed you. She's a firebender. We're supposed to be fighting her, not helping her."

"I don't care. She didn't mean to hurt me. We're supposed to be her friends."

"I don't know," Aang said. Katara turned to him. "Maybe we should let her go."

"Aang, how could you say that? She needs our help and you're just going to abandon her?"

"Think about it," Aang said. "How can she bend fire and water? Maybe we can't trust her."

"You're wrong!" Katara yelled. "She's my friend. She's too good to hurt us. I'm going after. If you want to judge her, then you don't have to help me." Katara ran into the forest after Stella as the two boys looked at each other.

"What should we do?" Aang asked.

"Let her go," Sokka said as he walked back to the hotel. "If she wants to help a traitor, then let her. I'm too hungry to worry about it." Aang quickly followed his friend back to the hotel. As they did, two pairs of eyes shined in the forest and quickly disappeared.

* * *

Yep, another cliffhanger. The story is starting to build up. The gang finally finds out what Stella is. Will she betray them? Will they still help her get her memories back? Will Zuko capture them? Will Momo and Appa get fed? Sorry, I had to add that.

Reviewers' Block

Thanks to everyone that has been reviewing my story. I hope I get as many reviews as **Never Too Far**, but I probably won't. What can you do?

**Gohan is MINE not yours: **Yeah, I was going to include how she can't always trigger her powers. Well, Stella can. She's just been trying to hide it because she doesn't want anyone to make fun of her. But when she does try to teach Katara, she almost kills her with firebending. But there is still more to come out of our little blonde.

**Lala-ness: **I'm glad you like cliffhangers. I loved the "exotic taste" compliment. Thanks for reviewing. You are on of my favorite authors.

I'll try to update soon. I have to write for my other stories and I have golf, so it might be awhile. Please be patient. Cya.


	7. Iroh's Confession

Hey, it's time for another chapter. I can't believe that school is almost out. But there's only one problem. After the end of May, my internet is getting disconnected until school starts up again. But that means I'll be able to write lots of stories. I just won't be able to upload them. sniffles Well, here's the next chapter.

**Iroh's Confession**

"Sir, there are two men here to see you. They say it is very important."

"What do they want?" Zuko asked the guard.

"They're here because they were attacked by a girl with great power."

"THAT'S IT? YOU INTERRUPT MY MEDITATION FOR SOME STUPID GIRL?"

"But sir, they say this girl can bend water and fire." Zuko starred at the guard for a moment then laughed.

"That's impossible. Only the Avatar can bend more than one element."

"Let them in," Iroh said.

"But uncle," Zuko protested. "Why do you want to waste time on a girl when we have the Avatar to look for?"

"This is important. Trust me. Let the men in." The guard bowed and opened the door. A tall masculine man and a skinny man walked in with smiles on their faces. But Zuko just scowled at them.

"These men are from the water tribe. They're not even waterbenders. I bet they're nothing more than common thieves."

"Common thieves that pledge allegiance to the future Fire Lord," the masculine one said.

"Why should we trust you?" Prince Zuko asked.

"Prince Zuko, enough." Iroh stepped forward and started questioning the men. "Exactly what did you see?"

"Well," the skinny one said, "we were walking along, minding our own, when we saw this girl with a waterbender. She went berserk when we asked for some money. She started bending the snow and knocked us out. But before we lost consciousness, she threw fire at us." Iroh started stroking his beard.

"Did this girl have blonde hair and pale skin?"

"Yes, I've never seen such a girl," the skinny man continued.

"She was very pretty," the big man said. "She had such soft, pale skin and pretty green eyes. Her friend put up a good struggle when I held her."

"Shut up, you idiot," the skinny man said as he knocked his friend over the head. "You are going to get us in trouble!"

"You may go," Iroh said. "Thank you for your cooperation." The guards led the men out.

"Wait, what about our reward?" the skinny man yelled.

"Throw them over the ship," Zuko said. "I will not tolerate rats on my vessel." When the door closed, Zuko didn't waste anytime interrogating his uncle. "What is the meaning of this uncle? Since when is there anyone that can bend both water and fire?"

"Pour me some tea and I will tell you." Zuko grabbed two cups and a tea kettle. He decided that he would need to drink some Ginseng Tea in order to calm down. As Iroh took a sip, he began his story. "It all began over fifteen years ago. Captain Shinta traveled to the North Pole to capture it."

"You mean Shinta the traitor?" Zuko asked.

"Yes, but he shouldn't be called a traitor. When a powerful waterbender named Kiyone defeated his troops, his men abandoned him and left him for dead. Kiyone took care of the wounds she caused him and soon fell in love with him. Even though it was unheard of for a firebender and a waterbender to fall in love with each other, they had a baby girl together.

"The village hated the fact that their greatest warrior loved the great Fire Nation Captain. So they ridiculed the poor child. Even though she was the kindest and most beautiful girl in the village, the people disowned her and called her a half-breed.

"Five years after Shinta landed on the North Pole, I was ordered to capture him and bring him back to the Fire Nation. Lord Ozai had charged him with high treason. He didn't deserve it. All he had done was fallen in love with a waterbender. But I guess when you are at war, sleeping with the enemy isn't exactly considered loyal. Kiyone tried to fight for him, but Shinta told her not to. That was when the girl attacked. She shot flames out of her fists and wounded my men. Then, when my firebenders retaliated, she put up a shield using the snow. I was amazed at her power. I decided to let her live. I didn't think she would be a problem. I was wrong.

"After Shinta was tried and executed for high treason, I heard stories of a girl in the North Pole destroying her village with on blow. I thought it was impossible, but it turned out that it was the same village where I arrested Shinta. They called the girl that destroyed the village 'The Angel of Darkness.' I could have never imagined that she had gotten this powerful."

"And that is why you sent for me," a mysterious voice said.

"Where are you? Show yourself!" Zuko yelled. A man in blue and green robes stepped out. His black hair rested on his shoulders and he held his golden staff.

"Has the Angel of Darkness returned, Iroh?" the wizard asked.

"Yes. Hiroki, this is my nephew, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. Prince Zuko, this is Hiroki, the great wizard of the Fire Nation."

"I've heard stories of you, Hiroki," Zuko started. "It is said that you can do things with magic."

"I am a mere sorcerer," Hiroki stated. "But as Iroh was saying, this girl did destroy her village. After her mother died, she was forced to leave. She eventually became weak and I was sent to take away her memories. I tried to kill her, but I couldn't. She was so innocent. I left her for dead, but it appears that she was rescued. Prince Zuko, this girl is very dangerous. She could destroy the entire world if she realizes her real powers. We must capture her and kill her."

"Maybe there is a better way," Zuko said. "We could capture her and use her to take over the world. We might even be able to capture the Avatar with her powers."

"Prince Zuko, are you mad?" Iroh yelled. "This girl could destroy the world! We need to stop her at all costs!"

"But if she doesn't have any memories," Zuko continued, "maybe we can convince her that we are the good guys. We can turn her to our side. Is it possible, Hiroki?" Hiroki thought for a moment about this.

"I suppose so. But we must be careful. If we make one wrong move on her, it could be fatal."

"Then it is settled," Zuko said. "Uncle, order some troops to search this island. We will capture this girl at any cost." Iroh bowed to him and left his nephew with the wizard. "Why don't we get to know each other?" Hiroki smiled. He and Zuko sat down and started drinking tea as they went deep into conversation about their plans to take over the world.

* * *

Well, that's it for now. I wanted to write one chapter where Zuko finds out everything about Stella. Next chapter, Katara tries to comfort Stella and some long anticipated action.

**Reviewers:**

Here's my reserved block for my few, yet very loyal and important reviewers. Without you guys, I wouldn't continue this story. Thanks to everyone that has reviewed. I have to answer some questions and comments.

**Aiyosha: **Thanks. I love compliments. Yes, suspenseful is a word. But you spelt it wrong. That's ok. I wasn't exactly in the National Spelling Bee either. Thanks again.

**Gohan is MINE not yours: **Yeah, Aang did seem a little harsh. I didn't try to make him sound mean, just cautious. Aang will trust her more later in the story. Sokka might even start to like her (hint, hint).

Thanks guys. Keep reading and reviewing. Cya.


	8. Stella's Confession & More Firebenders

**Stella's Confession and More Firebenders**

"Stella! Stella! Stella, where are you?" Katara yelled as she made her way through the thick forest. She had been looking for Stella for almost an hour now. Wherever she was, she wasn't going to make it easy for Katara to find her.

Katara couldn't blame her. After what Sokka had said about Stella, the waterbender wasn't surprised that she hadn't ran towards the ocean instead of into the forest. Katara didn't care if Stella was a firebender and a waterbender. She only cared that she was alright.

"Stella, answer me!" She was becoming more discouraged every time she yelled out her friend's name. "Maybe I should go back."

"And leave Stella alone in the wilderness?" Katara turned around and saw Aang standing right behind her with a smile. "I don't think so." Katara gave him a big hug.

"But how did Sokka…"

"Ow! These thorns hurt!" Sokka said as he pulled himself through the bushes. "I only came along because I was worried about you." Katara smiled at her brother. Sure, he could be pigheaded at times, but he had a kind heart somewhere in that warrior body of his. "Don't worry. We'll find Stella. We won't let her get hurt."

"Sokka, thank you," Katara said.

"Let's keep going," Aang said. "It'll be dark soon. The sun is about to set." Katara nodded.

As they continued through the forest, they finally came upon a small lake. On the other side of it was Stella, sitting on a boulder with her knees brought up to her chest and her head resting on he knees. She was trying to fight back the tears that threatened to fall out of her eyes. As she stared at her reflection in the lake, voices of people calling her half-breed echoed in her head. Then Sokka's face reflected in the water as Stella remembered his harsh words.

"_She almost killed you, Katara! She's not our friend! She's the enemy!"_ Stella waved her hand in anger and Sokka's reflection disappeared. She started crying as she buried her face into her arms. "He was right," she said to herself. "I'm nothing but a monster."

"Stella," Katara whispered. She moved out of the trees towards the crying girl. She tried sneak up quietly, but she snapped a twig while walking which immediately alerted Stella. They stared at each other for a moment until Katara started moving towards her.

"Stop," Stella uttered. "Don't come near me. I'm not safe." Katara continued to walk towards her. "I said STOP!" Katara stared at Stella as she buried her face in her arms again. "Please, Katara. You can't stay with me. I might hurt you."

"But, Stella, that was an accident. I'm fine."

"What if it happens again? What if I really hurt you? You need stay away from me." Stella stopped crying when she felt Katara's embrace.

"It's alright, Stella. I'm not going anywhere. I said I would be your friend. Friends don't abandon each other. And friends don't keep secrets either. Please tell me. I'll listen no matter what it is."

Aang and Sokka listened in the bushes behind them. Sokka was about to walk out, but Aang stopped him. "Don't you want to hear what she has to say?"

"Let them talk. We can hear them. Besides, I don't think she'll tell us anything if you're listening."

"What's that suppose to mean, Aang?"

"Shh." The two boys sat in the bushes waiting for what Stella had to say.

"You can tell me anything, Stella," Katara said. "I don't mind." Stella stared at Katara and wiped away her tears.

"Well, it's really cloudy. I don't remember much. It's just little bits and pieces. My mother was a waterbender and my father was a firebender." Katara gasped. So I was right, she thought. That's how she can bend water and fire. "All I remember is my mother. She was so kind and beautiful. She was a powerful waterbender. But all the people in my village hated her and me because she fell in love with a firebender. I can still hear them calling me a half-breed.

"There's something else. Something horrible happened. I don't remember what it was but I know it was my fault. That's why I had to leave. My mom told me to be strong, but I couldn't take it." Stella started crying. "I couldn't listen to it anymore. Then…I can't remember anymore."

"It's ok," Katara said. "We're going to find out what happened. We won't ever leave you, Stella. You guys can come out." The two girls watched as the Sokka and Aang struggled out of the bushes, covered in thorns and twigs. As they tried to pick them out, Stella and Katara started laughing.

"Well, I'm glad someone is amused by this," Sokka grumbled. "Listen, Stella. I'm sorry I yelled at you. I don't hate you. I'm just cautious about people. Forgive me?" He stuck out his hand, but Stella hugged him instead of shaking his hand.

"Yes, Sokka. I don't hate you either. Can we be friends?" Sokka smiled and started blushing. But when they realized what they were doing, they quickly separated. "So, everything's ok?"

"Yeah, we're cool," Sokka said. "Just don't get too carried away with your powers. Let's go back to the hotel." As they walked back, Aang started talking to Stella.

"Don't worry. When we find a waterbending master, you can learn to control your powers with me and Katara. Then we can find a firebender to teach us how to control fire."

"There's something else I have to tell you," Stella said as they walked through the forest. "I knew all along that I could bend fire and water. I just didn't want to tell you because I thought you would think I was a monster. I thought I could hide it and still go on without having to be called a half-breed."

"We don't think you are a monster," Katara said. "We wouldn't have you any other way."

"That's right," Aang said. "We like you the way you are, Stella." Stella smiled at the young monk. She was glad that she had friends like Katara, Aang, and Sokka. She didn't know what she would do without them.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a fireball hit her shoulder and sent her flying into a tree. Katara quickly ran to her side. It was bleeding a little, but nothing too serious.

"What was that?" Stella asked.

"Firebenders," Sokka said as he got his boomerang out. "They must know Aang is here." Suddenly, about ten firebenders came out into the forest clearing. They all surrounded them.

"Hand over the girl," one of them commanded as he pointed to Stella.

"What? Who are these guys?" Stella asked as she got up. Aang had already started fight them with airbending. Sokka started throwing his boomerang and knocked out two guys. Four firebenders surrounded Katara and Stella.

"Surrender or we'll take you by f…" The man was cut off when Katara and Stella kicked him karate style.

"Just because we're girls, doesn't mean we won't put up a fight," Katara said matter-of-factly. They continued to fight the firebenders. As Sokka fought, one firebender aimed his fist of fire at Sokka's back.

"Sokka, look out!" Stella yelled as she threw a fireball at the soldier. Then, noticing some water on the ground, she threw it another firebender fighting Aang. The men retreated into the forest. Stella dropped to the ground holding her shoulder. Since she fought, she lost more blood and became a little dizzy. Sokka immediately ran to her side.

"Stella, are you ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a scratch. Thanks for caring," she said with a smile.

"I should be thanking you." Sokka helped her up and returned the smile. "Would you mind explaining what just happened?"

"I know about as much as you do, Sokka," she said.

"That's odd," Katara said as she put her hand up to her chin. "Why were they after you? The firebenders usually attack us because they're after Aang."

"I know," Aang said. "They barely paid any attention to me. What could they want with Stella?"

"Let's hope we don't find out," Sokka said. "Let's get back to Appa. We should leave right away." They all walked back to the hotel to get some sleep. They all decided that they would early leave the next morning.

* * *

"They better get back soon," Zuko yelled as he kicked a table on the ship deck. "How long could it possibly take to capture one girl?"

"I told you, Prince Zuko," Iroh said as he sipped his tea. "This girl is very powerful. Let's just let her go."

"I will not let her go, Uncle." Zuko pounded his fist on the rail. "Hiroki, can't you find a way to transport her here?"

"I don't have that kind of power unless I know her exact position. If I could only contact her and she came willingly, I could bring her here. Can I have some more tea?" Iroh poured his wizard friend another cup of tea. Zuko was starting to get annoyed.

"How can you two drink tea at a time like this? I should band the stuff." Suddenly, a man yelled that the men were coming back. "It's about time." One of the firebenders bowed to him. "Report!"

"We found the girl but we couldn't capture her." Zuko's fists lit with flames.

"If you couldn't capture her, then why did you even bother coming back?"

"Sir, we t-tried," the soldier continued. "But the girl used her f-firebending and waterbending on us. P-plus,"

"Plus what?"

"The g-girl, she was with…"

"WITH WHO?" Zuko yelled.

"She was with the Avatar, sir." Zuko stared at him and an evil grin grew across his face.

"This is perfect. The Avatar and the Angel of Darkness in one day. What could possibly be better?" He started laughing as he turned to his uncle and Hiroki.

* * *

Yep, yet another cliffhanger. What will happen next? If you have any ideas, go ahead and let me know. I might use them with your permission of course. I just got done watching the newest episode of Avatar, The Waterbending Scroll. That episode, by far, is the best Nickelodeon has produced so far. Where Zuko captures Katara and shows her the necklace just filled me with suspense. Then Katara stole the scroll…that was great. Yeah, it's a must see. They better get Avatar on DVD pretty soon. Oh, I'm so hyper now. I got the jitters.

**Reviewers:** Thanks for all the reviews. It really keeps me going.

**Dark Devotions: **Well, that's how you would usually expect it. But in this case, Iroh wants the world to be safe. He knows what Stella is capable of so he would rather have her die instead of the world.

**Gohan is MINE not yours: **I know. IT'S NOT FAIR! But since I'm only a sophomore in high school and my parents pay the internet bill, they control it. They think I don't need it during the summer so unless I can find away to pay for it myself (which is pretty hard when you live ten miles away from civilization and have no car), I won't be able to update any stories till about September. Hope for a miracle.


	9. Midnight Training Gone Wrong

Yay, this is my third chapter today that I've written. Not with this story alone, but with my three stories that I'm working on right now. I've been pretty busy, but I've been able to produce about two chapters a day. Enough blabbering, here's the next chapter.

**Midnight Training Gone Wrong**

It was almost midnight and Stella still couldn't fall asleep. She was excited that she, Katara, and Aang were going to learn waterbending together. She was so happy that she had such great friends. No one, as far as she knew, ever treated her like a normal person before. But there was something else bothering her. If she knew that she wasn't a monster, then why were the voices playing in her head again? She managed to ignore them and bring them down to a whisper, but they still made her uneasy. Plus, there was the fact that this Prince Zuko was after her. What had she ever done to him? Was it because she was half-firebender half-waterbender that he wanted to capture her so bad?

She decided to ignore it and close her eyes. But she wasn't the only one that couldn't sleep. Just as her eyelids started to fall, a hand covered her mouth muffling her scream. She looked up and saw Katara with a finger on her lips. She slowly lifted her hand up and smiled as Stella sat up in her sleeping bag.

"Don't do that," Stella whispered. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"You're too young to get heart attacks," Katara replied as she pulled out a scroll. "Look what I got."

"Is that a waterbending scroll?" Stella reached out for it and opened it up. She was in awe at all the moves it had.

"Yeah, we got it when pirates were chasing us."

"Wow, you do get into a lot of trouble." Katara scowled at her as she looked at the scroll. "I have to admit. These moves are awesome, especially this water whip."

"Yeah, that's the first thing I learned from this scroll. Of course, everything comes with a price." Katara rubbed her head remembering when she whipped herself there.

"Don't get me wrong. This is really cool. But is this all you woke me up for?" Stella asked as she yawned. She regretted asking that question when a sly smile came across Katara's face.

"Not only did I wake you up to show you it, but we are going to learn these moves…tonight." Stella raised her eyebrow at Katara.

"Katara, it's the middle of the night."

"So, you said you would teach me how to waterbend. What better time to do it before we leave?" Stella looked at the moon. Everything was well lit. What if they were spotted by firebenders? "Look, there's a u-shaped bay by the ocean that is less then twenty minutes away, fifteen if you want a midnight run. It's surrounded by trees so no one will find us. Come on. What do you say?" Stella stared at her friend and sighed. She knew she couldn't beat Katara.

"Well, I guess I'm up now and the wind shouldn't interfere too much. Alright, let's go." Katara and Stella jumped up and ran into the forest. As they ran along a path through the thick trees, they didn't realize that they were being watched.

* * *

"Alright, you've learned the water whip," Stella said as she looked at the scroll. "You pretty much know the basics like pushing water, streaming, creating a wave, and shielding. What else can we do?" She looked at the map as Katara streamed some water. Then Stella jumped up with a smile. "How about this move?" She pointed to the phases that showed a water ball being created and sending the opponent backwards.

"That looks really tricky," Katara said wearily.

"Do you want me to teach you waterbending or not?" Stella asked impatiently as Katara nodded. "Then you are going to have to trust me. You are right. This is one of the hardest waterbending moves there is."

"How do you know it then?" Katara asked matter-of-factly.

"I don't know. I guess it's just stored in my mind somewhere. It's called the water bomb." Stella got up and handed the scroll to Katara. She streamed some water and brought it to her hands to form a ball. "You have to know the basics. That is how you get better. Bending water is basically building up moves on top of easier moves. Now, you want to form a ball like this. Then you move your hands in a circular pattern around it like this. The longer you continue this pattern, the bigger the water ball gets. Then, when you have enough water, you through it at your enemy like this." She then brought the ball behind her back and pushed it towards a wooden stump (like a kamehameha wave on Dragon Ball Z). "It will engulf your enemy and when you think that they have lost enough energy cross your wrists and through your arms out so they are straight from your shoulders and parallel to the ground. Then you'll get the exploding effect." The stump exploded and sent the wood stump flying across the bay. Katara was amazed.

"It's really complicated, so don't get upset if you don't get it the first time. Go ahead and try." Katara brought up the water to her hands and made a small ball. She threw it at the stump and made a small explosion, but the stump didn't get completely engulfed, neither did it budge.

"It's ok. You just didn't bring it back enough and push it out enough. You forgot to cross you wrists on the explosion. Other than that, you did well for your first try. Let's try it together. This time, try to make the ball bigger." They both streamed the water and made a ball. Stella's was bigger of course. Katara brought it back far enough but didn't push it out enough, which caused the ball to stop in front of the stump. She did, however, make her ball explode, sending the stump flying away. "That was pretty good. But you need to surround the enemy. Try again. You're getting better."

Katara kept trying for about an hour. She wasn't about to quit now and go back. As she continued her training, Stella looked at the scroll and tried to figure out the other moves. After about the fiftieth time (just an estimate), Katara executed the technique perfectly. She jumped and cheered as Stella laughed and clapped.

"You did it, Katara," Stella said as she hugged her. "You did the water bomb."

"I couldn't have done it without you," Katara said.

"Maybe we should go back. I bet Sokka and Aang are getting worried." Just as they were going back, something sent them flying into the sand. Stella groaned and picked herself off the ground. When she focused everything in, she saw firebenders surrounding her. "You again. Well, I got a new move for you." Stella quickly streamed some water and started throwing water bombs at them. "Katara, go get Aang and Sokka. I'll try to hold them off. Katara?" She looked behind her, but Katara was no where to be found. Then she heard that evil laugh.

Standing on the ship was a teenager with armor and his black hair tied into a ponytail. One of his golden eyes was surrounded by a red scar. In his masculine arms he held an unconscious Katara.

"Katara!" Stella tried to run after her but fell to the ground. That last attack took a lot out of her. As the firebenders surrounded her, she thought she was done for. Then out of no where, a gust of wind blew the firebenders into the water. Then a boomerang knocked a few men onto the sand. When Stella turned around, Aang came flying out of the forest, letting his plane retract into his staff. "Aang."

"He's not the only one that came to help." Katara watched the boomerang return to its owner.

"Sokka, you came," Stella said. Her smile faded into an angry stare. "We have to go after them. Prince Zuko…uh." Stella tried to get up but fell again. Sokka quickly ran to here side.

"You're not going anywhere," Sokka said. "You reopened your wound from the other day plus you have a new stomach wound."

"No, Katara." The two boys looked at her.

"Katara," Aang whispered. Then he saw the horrible sight: Zuko holding Katara in his arms, laughing as he sailed away. They were too busy to notice Stella pick up a piece of paper strapped around a rock off the ground and stick it in her pocket.

"If you want her back, then give yourself up, little girl," he yelled. "Come to me, Angel of Darkness."

* * *

Yep, another cliffhanger. You know me. I love cliffhangers. What will happen to Katara? What is in the letter Stella has? Will Aang and Sokka hate Stella for letting Zuko capture Katara? We will find out.

**Reviewers:** Because I was in such a damn hurry to update, I didn't get any reviews in. Thanks for reviewing though if I missed you. Cya.


	10. Easy Come, Easy Go

Hey, everyone. It's been awhile since I've updated. Unfortunately, since my internet and computer has a virus, I won't be able to update any stories until September. In fact, I'm updating this story on my friend's computer. Besides that going wrong I got the lowest rating in my group for music festival, my brother took my golfing stuff so I couldn't golf today, I'm failing classes because my teacher is a bitch, I didn't get to watch the last Avatar episode Jet, I had to waste gas money on my brother because he decided to stay in town instead of come home, I think I have e-coli, and, thanks to my brilliant brother, all my chapters for all the stories I have written have been deleted from my computer and I have no backup disc. Yep, the only thing that could make my week worse is if I got kidnapped by terrorists and tortured or something of the sort. Life is so great notice the sarcasm. I hope this makes me feel better.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything from Avatar: The Last Airbender, not even Iroh's lotus tile. Do you think I would be wasting my time and millions of dollars I received from Nickelodeon writing fan fiction if I did? I don't think so.

**Claimer: **I do, however, own Stella and Hiroki. I also own Stella's signature technique, the Waterbomb. And if Nickelodeon tries to steal my idea, you are all witnesses for when I sue them. If Nickelodeon is reading this, you cannot use the Waterbomb unless you want to make a deal, of course.

**Easy Come, Easy Go**

Zuko's laughter rang in all of their heads as they sat in their hotel room. Sokka sat on his bed while Aang paced back and forth, trying to think of a way to get Katara back. Stella just glared at the floor, wondering how she could be so reckless to allow someone to kidnap her best friend. It's all my fault that this is happening, Stella thought. If it wasn't for me, Katara would be ok.

"How could I let this happen?" Stella whispered. Sokka and Aang turned to her. "This is all my fault. I failed her." Sokka walked over to her and put his firm hands on her shoulders. It startled her. She thought that he was nothing more than a heartless jerk. It actually made her blush when she saw his smile.

"Don't worry, Stella," Sokka said. "We'll get her back. It's not your fault. I'm sure we'll find her."

"Yeah," Aang said. "Zuko must want something with us. Why would he hurt Katara?" Stella got up and smiled.

"Thanks, guys. I'm going to go change my bandages. I need to rest before we go looking for her." Stella bowed and went to her room.

"Aang, this is going to be hard," Sokka said seriously. "We don't even know where Katara is."

"Well, they have to be near the shore. Zuko wants us to find him. We just have to wait."

* * *

In Stella's room, Stella had just finished changing her bandages. She took out a piece of paper out of her kimono and read it.

_If you want to see your friend alive, give up the Angel of Darkness to me three miles out of town on the shore just after dusk. I'll be waiting. Prince Zuko._

Stella threw the letter aside and opened her door, careful not to alert anyone. The sun was just about to set so she decided to run the whole way. If Zuko wanted her, he would get her.

* * *

"Where is she? She should have been here by now!" Zuko paced across his ship impatiently as Hiroki and Iroh watched him. Zuko finally stopped and got right in Hiroki's face. "Can't you use your "magic" to bring the girl here?"

"I wouldn't know where to begin," Hiroki answered. "I need to know what I want to teleport. I don't even know what powers to use. I'm not nearly as skilled."

"YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE BEST!" Zuko yelled. He was about to attack the wizard but Iroh held him back.

"Calm down, Prince Zuko. She will come in good time."

"Stella is going to love what we did to her friend. Speak of the devil," Hiroki said with a smirk. They all looked towards the shore. There on the pier stood Stella. She then jumped in the water, swam to the ship, climbed the rope ladder, and jumped onto the ship deck to face Zuko. She immediately glanced at Iroh, thinking she had seen him somewhere. She quickly shook it off and faced Zuko again.

"Where is Katara?" she said coldly.

"Bring the girl!" Zuko yelled. "So, do you give up?"

"Only if you let Katara go. She has nothing to do with this." She watched as they brought Katara up. She was being dragged because she was unconscious. "Katara. Let her go now!"

"Bind her," Zuko said. Two guards walked over to Stella and tied her hands up.

"Alright, you got me. Now let her go." Hiroki and Zuko started laughing. "What is so funny?"

"We need you to do something else," Hiroki said. "We need you to give up your memories."

"What?" Stella said with a surprise. "Why would I do that?" She looked at Katara. She had regain consciousness, but her eyes were glowing purple. "Katara, what the hell?"

"It's no use," Zuko said. "She is under a spell. Katara, show her what we do to rebels." Katara picked some water out of the ocean and started throwing her Single Water Whip at Stella. Stella fell to the ground and Katara started hitting her back over and over again.

"Let your memories go," Hiroki said. "Let all your pain go." Katara continued to whip Stella until Hiroki's staff was knocked out of his hand. Katara's eyes stopped glowing and she dropped her water, looking confused.

"Where am I?" she asked. She saw Stella laying on the ground bleeding. She summed it up and ran to Stella's side, trying to help her up. "Stella, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Stella said weakly. "But who?" She looked up and saw Aang and Sokka sitting on Appa. Aang was throwing air at the firebenders while Sokka fought them off with his boomerang.

"Get on Appa!" Sokka yelled. Katara helped Stella walk to Appa, but Zuko tried to stop them.

"I won't let you get away." Zuko threw a fireball at the two, but Stella blocked it with her own fire and sent him flying backwards, allowing the four to get away on Appa. Zuko immediately stood up and got ready to throw a huge fire ray at them, but Iroh stopped him. "Uncle, they are getting away!"

"Let them go," Iroh said. "We will have another day." Hiroki stood up with his staff with a smile.

* * *

Katara untied Stella's ropes and tried to stitch her lash wounds together. Stella tried not to winch. Aang could have sworn he saw a tear roll down the half-breed's cheek. When Katara finished her sewing, she told the boys to turn around so she could change Stella's bandages.

"Stella, I am so sorry I did this to you," Katara said.

"Don't be," Stella said. "It's not your fault that you got captured. I deserve this. Everywhere I go, I just bring pain with me."

"That's not true," Sokka said as he turned around. Stella's eyes got big as her face turned red. She did all a girl could do in that position. She left a big, red handprint on Sokka's face. She gave him a look of pity, but all he could do was smile. "You are a part of this family. Just think what we would do without you. You are too important for us just to dump on some pigheaded prince."

"Thanks," Stella said. She was so happy that they had decided to follow her. She just hoped things would get better.

"Alright, everyone," Aang yelled. "Next stop, the North Pole!"

* * *

How was that for you guys? I hoped you liked it. Like I said, it will be quite awhile before I update. Please hold on. This story isn't over yet.

**Reviewers:** Thanks for all the reviews. I hope you keep with me. Love you all. Cya.


	11. New Feelings

**New Feelings**

"Wow! That was a great nap!" Aang said as he stretched his arms and legs. The crew had just landed Appa in a portside town so they could rest. But that wasn't the only reason why they stopped.

"Why are we stopping?" Sokka asked. "We should be looking for a waterbender master, not taking little shopping trips."

"Come on, Sokka," Katara said. "We need to get supplies for our trip. Besides, we could use some new clothes."

"I don't need any new clothes!" Sokka yelled. "I'm just fine."

"Unfortunately, I do." Everyone turned at the sound of Stella's voice. She did need new clothes after what happened on Zuko's ship. Her new kimono was practically shredded. She was forced to either wear a long blanket or Sokka's clothes.

"I don't see anything wrong with the stuff you're wearing," Sokka said.

"Listen," Stella started. "I can't wear a blanket everywhere I go. Katara's clothes are to short on me, and your clothes, let's just say they are a little wide."

"Are you saying that I'm fat?" Sokka asked.

"If that's what you want to here, then yes," Stella said with her face close to his. Katara and Aang sighed as the two fought. It was now a daily routine for Sokka and Stella. They argued and teased each other all the time, but they got along pretty good. In fact, sometimes Aang and Katara would find Stella and Sokka staring at each other and blushing. They only wish that Stella and Sokka would be like that all the time.

"Alright, you two," Katara said as she pushed them apart. "The point is that we need to find some new clothes for Stella. That's all there is to it. Sokka, why don't you take Stella around while Aang and I get some food?" Stella and Sokka immediately turned their backs to each other in disgust. "Fine, Stella and I will get some new clothes and you two can get the food." As the girls started walking off, Sokka started yelling at them.

"Wait! I can't shop for food! That's a girl's job!" Katara and Stella turned around with a huge stream of water and sent it flying at Sokka, completely soaking him.

"It wouldn't hurt to try something new, Sokka," Katara said as she turned around and walked away.

"Maybe we'll pick up some dry clothes for you while you try to figure out how to do our job," Stella said. She quickly turned around and ran after Katara, leaving Aang to the soaking Sokka.

"How can she be so cold?" Sokka asked.

"Maybe you should be nicer to her," Aang said. "I think she actually likes you."

"Yeah right," Sokka said. "I'd sure hate to see how she treats someone that she hates." Sokka thought about what Aang said. _Maybe I like her, too._

* * *

Katara was waiting for Stella to come out of the dressing room. She sure was taking a long time to pick an outfit. Stella finally came out with a smile on her face. "What do you think, Katara? It's the latest fighting style." It kind of shocked Katara. Stella had changed from moccasins to black fighting boots. She also threw out her skirt and changed into blue, baggy pants. Her blue top was still the same style as Katara's except Stella's wrists and hands were taped up to show only her fingers. Stella beautiful, blonde hair had been cut to just below her shoulders so it would be just long enough to make a braid at the nape of her neck. Katara had never seen anyone wear something like that, other than her father. 

"What's wrong with a dress?" Katara asked after they had purchased Stella's clothes. Stella's smile changed to a stern look. "Stella, are you ok?" Stella shook her head and gave her friend a smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm really sorry about the old dress you bought me. I really liked it."

"I should be the one saying sorry, Stella."

"No, it's my fault. I let Zuko capture you. I wasn't strong enough to protect you. I should have been there for you and I wasn't. I don't have many friends. I better take care of the ones I got."

"Does that mean Sokka too?" Stella started blushing at Katara's question.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't deny it. I see how you look at him. You like him, don't you?" Stella had to think about Katara's question. Yeah, of course she liked Sokka. But did Sokka like her? Then she remembered the incident that occurred on Appa.

"_You are a good person. You are a part of this family. Just think what we would do without you. You are too important for us just to dump on some pigheaded prince." _

Stella couldn't quite get over what Sokka said that day. There were times when he could be the world's biggest jerk, but other times, he was really caring.

"I don't know yet, Katara," Stella said with her head down, but Katara knew she was trying to hide her red face. "I guess I like him a lot. He can be a pain sometimes, but…"

"But…" Katara knew she was getting somewhere. Stella couldn't explain these feelings. She never experienced it before. Could this be…love?

"Excuse me." The two girls turned around to find an old lady in her late sixties. She was dressed in a dark blue Eskimo coat and had her gray hair pulled back into a low ponytail. She looked very friendly, but her most shocking feature was her green eyes. They looked just like… "Stella?" Both girls gasped at her.

"How do you know my name?" Stella asked as the lady smiled at her.

"I know more about both of you than you know. You two look like you just got here. Did you come on that flying bison?"

"Yes," Katara answered quickly. "We needed to get some supplies for our trip through the North Pole."

"And what would you want to find in a place like this?" the old lady asked.

"We are looking for a waterbender master," Katara said. The lady rubbed her chin and smiled again.

"Take me to your friends and I will take you to my home. You must need a place to stay. Don't dawdle, child. It'll be dark soon." The lady started walking down the streets as Katara and Stella gave each other worried looks.

"Should we follow her?" Katara asked.

"Yes. I don't know why, but something tells me we can trust her." The two girls quickly ran after the old woman, wondering what would lie ahead for them.

* * *

Hey everyone. Sorry it took so long to update. I finally got my internet back. Yey! Before i bore you, here are some reviews.

**evil-gurl113:** No, I thought it was funny. I guess i never thought about how much Stell gets hurt. I don't think she gets hurt every chapter. If she does, it's because she is still kind of weak. She'll be a lot tougher and more careful from now on.

**fizzyrainbowmegan: **Wow! That's a long name. I was thinking about having Katara tell Stella about her mom. She seems to do that a lot.


	12. Relations

**Relations**

Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Stella were led to the old ladies house, which was about a half a mile away from the village. Sokka complained the whole way about wasting time walking to some old hag's shack in the middle of nowhere. He said that they could be looking for a waterbender that could teach Aang instead of having tea at some stranger's house.

"Please, Sokka," Stella said as they trudged through the snow. "Please be polite to her. I don't want to ruin our chances." Sokka looked at Stella as she said this. She looked so serious and solemn. Why was she so interested in this old lady?

"We're here," the old lady said. They all looked at the little house of snow. It looked exactly like the one Sokka and Katara had at home. It wasn't such a surprise as it was to Stella. Stella looked at the house and suddenly had a flashback. She was running around the house when she was little. She ran into the arms of the old lady that owned the house. Next to her stood her mother.

"Stella, are you alright?" Stella was brought out of the memory by Katara's voice. Katara gave her friend a solemn look. It seemed that Stella always was getting blank looks on her face lately. Stella just smiled and nodded.

"Let's go inside," the old lady said invitingly. As they walked in, they notice that the interior was very plain. There was a bed in the back corner of the single room house. There was also a small table in the middle of the room next to the fireplace. The only things that decorated the house were waterbending scrolls posted against the wall. Katara and Aang were amazed at all the different moves they showed. "I've collected those over the years. I guess they are a little musty, but they're still readable."

Katara looked over to Stella again. She had yet another blank look on her face. _What was she thinking about?_ Katara thought. _Is she remembering something?_

"Listen, grandma," Sokka said. "We would love to stay and chat, but we have a waterbender to find. We need to master waterbending." The old lady turned to the young warrior and smiled.

"Then you have come to the right place, young man." They all looked at her in shock.

"Just who are you?" Stella asked. "I know you know something about me. What do you know?" The old lady gave Stella a big hug and kissed her cheek. Stella was caught off guard when she did this. That was when she started to explain.

"It has been so long, my little angel." Stella's mind jogged when she said that. Her mother had called her that so many times. Why was this lady that she never met before call her that name? "Are you surprised to here that name? Your mother called you that so often." Stella knelt down to meet her eyes.

"Who are you, and who am I?" The old woman led her to the table and sat down. Aang, Katara, and Sokka followed suit. The old lady held Stella's hands.

"My name is Kami, and you, my dear, are my granddaughter." Stella couldn't believe it, but somehow she knew it was true. She could tell by looking into those green eyes. Kami continued to tell her more. "Your mother is my daughter. I taught her all I know about waterbending, and she taught you. Of course, she brought you here so I could teach you some special techniques."

"So wait?" Sokka said. "This old hag is your grandma?" Kami then turned to Sokka with a sly smile.

"This old hag is more than Stella's old grandma. I'm also your grandmother." Everyone was shocked at the statement. _If she is Sokka's grandma,_ Katara thought, _then she's my grandma. And if she's my grandma and Stella's grandma…_ "That's right, Katara. You and Stella are cousins." Katara looked at Sokka. He looked completely heartbroken. Did Sokka actually love Stella? "I'm just joking. I'm only Stella's grandma. You can stop worrying."

"So, you're my grandma," Stella stated. "Can you tell me about my past? Can you tell me why I lost my memories?"

"I'm sorry, my dear. I can't tell you anything about how you lost your memories. I can tell you a little about your past. For the time being, I would like you to introduce me to your friends. I already know Katara and Sokka, but who is this young man here? Could he be the avatar?"

"Yeah, that's me," Aang said. He immediately pulled out his marble and did his trick. Kami laughed at the performance. "So, we are here to learn waterbending. Do you think you could teach us?" Kami thought about this for awhile. She smiled and nodded.

"I suppose my granddaughter is having troubles controlling her bending, both water and fire. I can teach you to waterbend, but you will have to learn firebending on your own I'm afraid. I will start in the morning, so stay here and rest. I'll cook dinner."

* * *

Dinner was delicious. They hadn't eaten anything like that for so long. Sokka hadn't said anything all night since he was too busy stuffing his face. When he was done, he immediately fell asleep. Aang and Stella soon fell asleep. The only one that was awake was Katara and Kami. They were sitting in front of the fire deep in discussion.

"What do you think of my granddaughter? She must be a handful."

"She can be trying sometimes, but she can't help it," Katara answered. "I am glad to know her." Katara looked at the old woman and noticed the sadness in her eyes. It was the same sadness that Stella had all the time. "What's wrong? Aren't you glad that you found Stella?"

"I am overjoyed," Kami answered. "She just reminds me of her mother so much. When I heard that Kiyone died, I was heartbroken. I knew that I had to move on, though. The only thing I worry about now is Stella. I've seen how people treat her. They call her half-breed and monster. Some even call her the 'Angel of Darkness.'" Katara thought about that. _That was the name Zuko used. Why did everyone use that name?_

"You know why everyone calls her that, don't you?" Katara asked. Kami gave her another sad look. "Please tell me. I want to know." Kami took another sip of her tea.

"Stella has the blood of my daughter and a firebender. Everyone made fun of her because of that fact. They were afraid of her powers. About a year ago, Stella destroyed her village with one move. I have no idea how that happened, but her powers are dangerous. No one was killed, but the village was completely gone. That is why they call her the 'Angel of Darkness.' I hope that Stella will learn to control her powers. I have a feeling if she has friends, she will be able to sheath that power."

Katara looked at the sleeping Stella and thought. _She looks so peaceful and innocent. How could someone as kind as Stella release such a power? She must have been so lonely and miserable. We will always be by her side. We will not abandon her._

"It's getting late," Kami said. "You better get some rest. You'll need it for tomorrow. And Katara, thank you for taking care of Stella. You are a true friend to her. That's what she needs now." Katara smiled and crawled into her sleeping bag. She looked at Stella once again before she fell asleep. For the first time, Stella actually had a smile on her face, which meant that her dreams were filled with happiness.

* * *

Hey, guys. Sorry about the long wait. I've been so busy with school, plus I got about six stories going out right now. I finally got a snow day so I could catch up with everything. That's when all the electricity went out and all my writing was lost. I got it all back though. I hope you enjoyed it. Please read and review. If you have questions, I'll answer them. Thanks again. Cya. 


	13. Second Thoughts

**Second Thoughts**

Zuko was sitting in his room, trying to meditate. As he breathed in and out, the fire from the candles in front of him got bigger and smaller. He usually had no trouble controlling the flames, but for some reason he couldn't get the rhythm right. He opened his eyes and looked at the candles. "Damn it," he whispered as he gave up. He went to his bed and lied down, staring intently at the steal ceiling above him.

_This is so stupid,_ he thought. _Why can't I get her out of my head? Her painful face keeps appearing in my mind's eye. What's so great about this half-breed?_ He didn't know why he kept thinking about the Angel of Darkness or her tragic story. When he saw her just a couple months ago, she looked so hurt in the eyes. She was beautiful, and she seemed like a kind person. Yet, she had gone through so much suffering. He almost felt sorry for the girl.

"No, I'm Prince Zuko, the rightful heir of the Fire Nation Throne. I shouldn't feel one bit of remorse for that half-breed traitor." Why was he saying this? It wasn't her fault that so many hated her. Zuko had a reason to be called a traitor. At least she was innocent.

Something else was on his mind. Hiroki had used his powers to hurt this innocent girl. She really didn't deserve that kind of punishment. Why did Hiroki and Uncle Iroh want her destroyed? Was she that powerful? Maybe she was too powerful for him to handle. Maybe he should just leave her alone. He didn't need her to find the Avatar. He could capture the airbender on his own. Zuko got up and walked to his uncle's room, where Iroh and Hiroki were drinking tea.

"Prince Zuko," Iroh said gleefully. "Hiroki and I were just discussing about how to capture the Angel of Darkness. Would you like to join us and have some tea?"

"No thanks, uncle. I want to talk about the girl though." Iroh and Hiroki smiled as he sat down.

"So," Hiroki started. "Have you decided to follow our advice and destroy the Angel of Darkness?"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you," Zuko said, "but I think we should leave her alone." The two men's smiles disappeared. "When you took over Katara's body, you hurt the girl. I don't think it was necessary to flog her so much. In fact, she looked so confused about her own self. Maybe she doesn't know about her powers. I certainly don't. We should leave the poor girl alone and concentrate on the Avatar." Iroh looked at his nephew with disappointment. Iroh knew that the girl needed to die, but he still felt sorry for her. He smiled and turned to Hiroki as the wizard spoke.

"I disagree, Prince Zuko. We need to find the Angel of Darkness and destroy her before she realizes her powers. If she remembers her past, she will destroy the world."

"Hiroki, even though I agree that the girl's powers are dangerous, I will have to side with my nephew." Hiroki was surprised at his friend's response. "The girl may never recover her memories. She may be safe. I must say that I can't approve of the murder of an innocent life."

"Iroh," Hiroki continued. "You know very well that she is hardly innocent. She destroyed her entire village with one blow. Imagine what she will do to the Fire Nation or even the world."

"I'm sorry, Hiroki, but I have to follow my nephew's advice. He is the Prince of the Fire Nation, and as of yet he has never led me astray. I trust him with my life. We will not go after the girl anymore. We will focus on the Avatar. If we do come across her, we will capture her and keep her in a safe hold." Hiroki couldn't believe what Iroh was saying. Iroh knew how dangerous the Angel of Darkness was, and yet he wouldn't follow through with his original plans. Hiroki stood up and grabbed his staff.

"I'm sorry," Hiroki said in disappointment. "This girl could bring about the end of the world if she gets her memories back. I cannot let that happen. If you will not help me, I have no choice but to leave you and look for her on my own. I wish you a safe journey and luck with your search for the Avatar." He bowed and in a cloud of purple smoke he disappeared. Zuko looked back at his uncle, who had a smile on his face.

"Uncle, did you mean what you said?" Zuko asked.

"Of course I did," Iroh answered. "We will not go after the girl. She deserves her peace. Now, join me in a cup of tea." Zuko smiled and sat down next to his uncle as he poured tea for both of them. He was glad that Iroh had stood up for him. He was even happier that Iroh had said that he trusted Zuko with his life. Maybe he didn't give the old man enough credit. It was him that raised him to the man that he was. From now on, he would treat him with more admiration. "After we are done, how about we stop and get some Lotus Tile? I need a new one since you threw mine into the river." Then again, maybe he should hold back a little.

* * *

"Get everything loaded, including the weapons! I want to be prepared for the Avatar this time. He will not get away." Admiral Zhao was yelling orders to his men as they loaded his ship. He was going after the Avatar after the Blue Spirit had helped him escape. He wanted to find the accomplice too, but all he had for a clue was the blue mask left behind. He would not let the Avatar escape this time. He would prevent Zuko from returning to the Fire Nation by capturing his only hope. He grinned but turned around quickly at a husky voice.

"So, you want to capture the Avatar?" the voice said. The man was dressed in blue robs with green trimming, the hood pulled over his head to hide his face. "I know someone that would be worth the while if you helped me."

"Who are you?" Zhao asked. "How did you get past the guards?" The man chuckled and lifted his hood to reveal his face. Zhao realized who he was. "The great wizard Hiroki. I guess it wouldn't be that hard for you to get to me. May I ask what you want?"

"Have you ever heard of the Angel of Darkness?" Hiroki asked. Zhao nodded and let Hiroki explain. "She is still alive, but she has no memory of who she is. I need to capture her and destroy her before she gets her memories back. If she realizes her true powers, she could destroy the entire world. I need your help to do this." Zhao laughed and turned his back on the wizard.

"I am the admiral of the Fire Nation Army," he remarked. "My priorities are to capture the Avatar and bring him back to the Fire Lord so we can win this war. Why should I waste time chasing after some girl that might be a threat." Hiroki smiled as he answered Zhao's question.

"Because the girl is traveling with the Avatar." Zhao turned to face the wizard with a look of surprise. "Imagine getting your hands on the Avatar and possibly the most powerful being in this world. You would be recognized as a national hero. You would be Lord Ozai's right-hand man, possibly the next inline for the throne. What do you say? Will you help me save the world?" Zhao smiled at the invitation. This was his chance to prevent Zuko from ever returning home. Hell, if he was lucky, he could put out a bounty for the brat and have him executed. He walked to Hiroki and held out his hand.

"Alright, I accept. Welcome to my crew. You will travel with me and together we will save the world." Hiroki gave him a worried look.

"Let me make one thing clear," Hiroki explained. "My last partner turned his back on me and gave up the search for the Angel of Darkness. I want to have your full support for my search." Zhao nodded.

"Don't worry, my friend. I will have no second thoughts about this decision." With that, they got on the ship and sailed away in search for their targets.

* * *

Ok, I hope you guys are satisfied. I just spent an hour working on this. I have about five different stories going on right now, so I might not be able to get the chapters out as fast. I'll try to keep you happy. Cya. 


	14. Warnings

Sorry it took so long to update. I've been so busy with my research paper that I hadn't had a chance to update. Damn English teacher! I guess it isn't her fault. The school board makes up all of the requirements, so I guess I should cuss them out. What can you do? But here's something that makes me happy. I have all day to write stories. Yay!

**Last Female Firebender: **I usually do this at the end, but I wanted to do it at the end. Anyways, I'll get on changing Zhao's name. I thought that was how you spelt it, but someone said it was the other way. Thanks. Make sure you start writing some more stories and let me know about them. Cya.

**Warnings**

It had been a week since the four teenagers had arrived at the North Pole to learn waterbending. It didn't take long for Aang, Katara, or Stella to master the techniques. Aang was already a natural at bending. Katara had taught herself most of her own moves and she had Stella to help her. Stella caught on quickly because she was finally starting to recognize all the moves her grandmother had taught her so long ago. Everything was going so smoothly that Kami decided that they had learned everything she could teach them. They would be able to leave at the end of the day.

Sokka was watching the three practice their bending skills on each other. He had to admit. They were pretty incredible, especially Stella. She looked so graceful as she let the water flowed through her fingers. She looked so calm and happy.

Sokka had been thinking a lot about Stella lately. He felt like he could live with her forever. _Hold on,_ he thought. _Why are you thinking about Stella? You said you loved Suki. How is she going to feel when I tell her that I'm in love with a firebender?_ Everything was so confusing for him these days. Why couldn't he figure anything out?

"Do you like what you see, young man?" Sokka turned to see Kami standing next to him. "It looks like you have developed an interest for my granddaughter."

"No way!" Sokka denied. "You're imagining things, grandma." Kami just laughed at him.

"I may be old, but I haven't gone insane yet. I can tell when a young man falls in love. I had a daughter once. You look at Stella the same way her father looked at my daughter. It is ok to admit your feelings. I'm just going to warn you. Stella is delicate and naive. She will put her heart into anything she does, even if it is loving you. Please don't hurt her. Be gentle with her. It could decide if the world ends."

Kami walked away and let Sokka think to himself. Now he was even more confused. What would he do now? Did he really want to risk hurting Stella for something that wouldn't last? How would he choose between Stella and Suki? Suki had kissed him and said that he needed to return, but Stella made him feel so whole. She was his sunshine, his fresh breath. He decided to think about it when the time came. He walked away and prepared to leave.

* * *

Appa was already to go. Stella was saying her final goodbyes to her grandmother before they left. It was so hard to let go of her, but Stella knew she had to learn firebending in order to protect the people she loved.

"Thank you for everything, grandmother," Stella said as tears streamed down her face. Kami smiled and wiped her granddaughter's tears away.

"Don't cry," Kami said. "You'll see me again. I promise. Just be strong for me…and your mother." Stella smiled and walked over to Appa to get on. Katara was walking by Kami when she stopped the young waterbender. "Remember what I told you, Katara. Don't leave Stella. She needs you and your brother more than ever. She needs her friends. Do you understand?" Katara nodded and bowed in gratitude. They left as soon as they could, leaving Kami thinking to herself.

_Stella will still go through many trials. I fear that her power will consume her. I pray that those three can help her control her powers._ Kami walked back to her hut and shut the door as Appa disappeared over the horizon.

* * *

The North Pole was starting to disappear behind the giant flying bison as Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Stella flew through the clouds. Stella decided to break the silence.

"Alright, we got waterbending down. Two down and two to go, Aang. Then I can learn to firebend and this will be all over."

"I'm afraid we have a long way to go, Stella," Aang said as he steered Appa through the sky, but Stella wouldn't quit.

"Come on, Aang. Don' be so gloomy. We need to cheer up and be optimistic. So, who are you going to learn earthbending from?" Katara turned around with a smile and answered.

"I know just where to go. We need to find Haru."

* * *

Yeah, it is a little short. I don't know exactly how to do this story anymore. All I know is that Haru is going to be in the next chapter and some other unexpected characters. Cya 


	15. Curiosity Equals Trouble

**Curiosity Equals Trouble**

It took about a week for the four teenagers on the flying bison to get to the Earth Nation. They had just landed in a small mining village near the ocean. Now that Aang had mastered waterbending, it was onto earthbending, and they knew exactly who would be perfect to teach him.

"It's so good to be back here," Aang said. "This place is so calm now that the Fire Nation is gone." All three slid off and looked around. The forest surrounding them was beautiful, but that wasn't the only thing that they were happy to see again.

"Katara," a familiar voice shouted. Katara turned around to see Haru running towards her. She smiled and hugged him, glad to see her friend.

"Haru, I missed you so much. It's been too long." Haru released her and saw her blushing cheeks, which in turn caused his face to turn red. They both shook it off as Aang came up to the young earthbender to shake his hand. "Haru, you remember Aang and Sokka."

"How can I forget the people that helped free my village? I see you have a new traveler with you." Stella turned to face Haru. She shook his hand as he introduced himself. "I'm Haru. It's nice to meet you, miss…"

"This is Stella," Katara explained. "She's traveling us for the time-being."

"It's nice to meet you, Haru," Stella said politely.

"The pleasure is all mine," he said as he looked her over. Of course, he couldn't resist admiring her for her beauty, which made Sokka fume. _What is with this guy? He always puts his charm on people. First my sister, and now Stella. He needs to back off._

"I'm going to find some food," Sokka said angrily. "I'll see you later." He ran off towards the village, and Stella followed him. Aang and Katara just ignored them.

"So what brings you here?" Haru asked.

"We were wondering if Aang could learn earthbending from your father," Katara asked. "I hope it isn't too much trouble." Haru shook his head.

"Of course not. My father would be honored to teach the Avatar. We owe him that much." Aang smiled as he started to walk to the village. "I can show you where he is."

"That's ok," Aang said cheerfully. "I know where your house is." And with that, he flew off on his glider, leaving Katara and Haru alone. Both of them turned to each other with unsure looks.

"So would you like to take a walk with me?" Haru asked. "It's been so long, and I want to catch up on your travels." Katara blushed as Haru held out his hand, but she simply smiled, nodded, and grabbed it. They walked up the mountains to the cliff they had sat on together so long ago.

* * *

Stella ran after Sokka as he stomped away. They were at the village when she had caught up to the warrior. "Sokka, wait for me." He finally turned around, causing Stella to gasp. His eyes were full of rage and hatred, as if she had done something wrong. "Sokka, why are you upset?"

"I'm not upset!" he yelled in her face, but she knew he was lying.

"Don't lie to me," Stella said softly. "Please tell me why you are angry. Did I do something to offend you?" Sokka couldn't hold it in. He had to let out his anger.

"Why don't you just go find Haru? I'm sure you'll be happy with him!"

"Sokka, what are you talking about? I just met him. Do you think I'm in love with him?"

"Why wouldn't you be? He's good-looking, just like me. You don't think so though." Sokka screamed. "I saw the way you looked at him. Just leave me alone, you little whore." Sokka stomped away, leaving Stella in tears. She ran into the forest on the edge of the village until she completely lost herself. _How could he say that? I didn't do anything wrong. I thought he loved me._ She stopped her thinking and her tears. _No, he doesn't love me. We are just friends. That's all. Then why do I feel this way? Why am I crying?_

Her thoughts were interrupted when two men grabbed her. Before she knew it, she was pinned against a tree by two strong arms with a knife against her neck. When she opened her eyes after wincing, she realized she had been grabbed by two Fire Nation soldiers.

"It looks like we got ourselves a waterbender," one of them said with a look of greed in his eye.

"I'm sure the general would love another prisoner for his collection," the one with the knife said. "We are going to get a raise." Stella tried to get free, but the one with the knife pressed the cold steel against her neck, causing a small stream of blood to drip down her neck. _What am I going to do now?_ she thought. _Why did I have to be so curious? Please, somebody help me._

As if on cue, the man holding her was pulled back by a hooked sword. Holding the two swords was a boy with short brown hair, Earth Nation armor, and a piece of grass in his mouth. Stella was memorized. He looked so handsome and heroic, not to mention he had so much confidence in his eyes.

"You shouldn't be so rude to young ladies," he said. "I think I will teach you some manners." And with that, he started fighting with the soldier he took down. When the other soldier was distracted, Stella summoned a stream of water and knocked him out. Seeing that the boy was having trouble with his foe, Stella performed the Waterbomb on him. When she was done, the young boy walked up to him. "You shouldn't be walking in the forest by yourself. There are some dangerous beasts living in here." Stella smiled at the handsome young man. She couldn't help but be drawn into his charisma. "By the way, my name is Jet."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Stella."

"Stella, I like that name. It is really unique. It's nice to meet you." He grabbed her hand and kissed it, causing her to blush even more.

"Um, I should get going. Thank you for saving me." She turned around to leave, but she realized she had lost herself in the forest. "I guess I really don't know where I am."

"You can come stay at my hideout for now. It's getting pretty dark out. Follow me." They both began to walk into the forest when Jet started the conversation. "What were you doing in the forest by yourself anyways?"

"Well, I was traveling with some friends. One of my friends and I had a fight and I ran into the forest. He just got really angry and I couldn't stand being around him. He thinks he knows everything."

"Let me guess," Jet said. "He always goes off of instinct." Stella laughed at the comment. That was just like Sokka. They suddenly stopped and Jet grabbed a string then Stella. "Hold on tight." With that, they both went flying into the air. Stella looked up at Jet and started to blush again. He looked so radiant against the forest background and sunlight.

They finally landed on a tree house high above the ground. It was amazing how many tree houses were hidden in the trees. It was like a huge fortress. Teenagers and young kids were swinging from tree to tree like it was nothing. Stella was amazed that there were so many people living up here.

"It's our little fortress," Jet explained. "There are Fire Nation soldiers running around here, but they'll never find us up here. We fight them and try to keep them on their toes. We call ourselves the Freedom Fighters of the Earth Kingdom. Most of our parents, including mine, were killed off by the Fire Nation. We want to free the Earth Kingdom from their hold and make sure no one else has to go without parents." He stopped when he saw the sad look on Stella's face.

"I'm really sorry about your parents," she said with pity. "My father was killed by the Fire Nation, and my mother died from disease." Jet walked over to her and lifted her chin to meet her eyes with a smile. His smile made her heart melt. He was so attractive.

"I'm sorry. I really am. So we are both after the same thing. We want to stop the Fire Nation from hurting anyone else, but for now we should eat something and get some rest." They started walking across a bridge when Stella looked down. She could barely see the ground, which made her very nervous. She found herself clinging to the bridge ropes on her knees. She was always afraid of heights, but this was the highest she had ever been. She started to feel dizzy when Jet picked her up and carried her across the bridge. "I see you don't like heights."

He laughed and brought her into a small tree house. He then sat her down on a bed and smiled. "This is the guest room. You can stay here as long as you want. Feel free to look around, but I doubt you will want to. I'll come get you when supper is ready." He politely bowed to her and walked out her door.

She laid herself down on her bed and smiled to herself as she lost herself in thought. _I hope Sokka and the others don't worry about me._ She stopped when she thought about Sokka. "No, I shouldn't think about that jerk. I'll let him worry about me." _Besides, I want to get to know Jet a little better. He's so cute. It would be a shame to leave so suddenly. Who says you can't go out for steak when you have hamburger at home?_

* * *

What did you think of that? Sorry that it has been so long. I had writer's block on this story. It should get better. Quick question: Who do you guys think I should pair Stella with? Should she fall for Zuko, Sokka, or Jet? I won't pair her with Haru because he likes Katara, and I'm not sure about pairing her with Jet either. Please help me out.

**Bubble-Gum-12: **No, I'm not done writing this story. It should be a pretty long one, so keep reading and reviewing.

**Amberhawk:** Yes, Sokka and Aang can be jerks, but Aang is a lot better. Sokka is a little dumb though when it comes to Stella. He's just jealous.

**not telling you:** Well, Stella hasn't really developed her full power, and neither has Aang, so they are still beatable. The good guys need to be together. Besides, the Fire Nation has Hiroki. Yes, there are no magicians in the Avatar world in the TV Series, but there is going to be one in my story. Thanks for reviewing my story.

**lensgirlfriend:** You were right on Jet and Haru. Bumi I'm not sure about yet. I'll tell you one thing. Zula will be in this story for sure. Thanks for reviewing again.

**Neko:** Don't worry. I don't think Sokka and Stella are going to be that easy. Sorry if they sound like it. I'll try to have a little Katara/Aang in this. One quick question. What the hell is a Mary-Sue? I know that Stella is really goodie-two-shoes if that's what you mean, but she'll get a little spice on her after awhile. She'll lose that innocence she has before long.

Hey, thanks for all the reviews. You guys are great. I'll try to update soon. Cya.


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